"Head Over Heels" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at LUSH

Rare musicals. Well done. Minneapolis Musical Theatre lives by these words, and we benefit from it. They're only doing two shows this season, but both are regional premieres that you're unlikely to see anywhere else. They'll be doing the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre next spring, but first up is the 2018 Broadway musical Head over Heels. I didn't see it on Broadway, but after seeing MMT's production it feels like the kind of thing that is better suited to smaller stages. In particular, it seems perfectly suited to the stage at LUSH Lounge & Theater, where it feels more like a raucous concert than a civilized night at the theater. And that's a good thing in this case. I'm not sure why anyone would think to set a 16th Century work of literature to the music of the 1980s all-female rock band The Go-Go's, but there have been worse ideas in this history of music-theater. The show is pure joy and silliness and fun, with a sweet ending that imagines a world beyond gender conventions, where everyone is free to be who they are and love who they love. And what's not to love about that? Only six performances remain on specific dates and times through October 10, click here to see the schedule and purchase tickets.

"A Taste of Things to Come" at Lyric Arts

Lyric Arts is starting off 2025 with a fun and feel-good musical about a group of suburban women in the 1950s, and how their lives (and the lives of all American women) changed in a decade time jump into the '60s. Although a line towards the end of the play reminds us of just how far we haven't come and how much work there is yet to do, the musical celebrates women, their friendship, and their accomplishments in broad brush strokes. The winning cast comprised of mostly newish performers portrays a tight bond and even tighter harmonies on this fun original score tinged with the sounds of the '50s and '60s, accompanied by an all-female band. Get A Taste of Things to Come at Lyric Arts on Anoka's Main Street through February 9, and maybe it'll spark deeper conversations and continued hard work to continue to make lives better for women in this decade and into the next.

"Little House on the Prairie" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

As a fan of all things Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was excited to see the musical Little House on the Prairie on Lakeshore Players Theatre's ambitious 2023-2024 season. I grew up watching the TV show and reading the books, and as an adult I've read every book I could find about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and visited most of the historic sights. As a descendent of 19th Century immigrants who came to Minnesota to make a better life for their family (i.e., me), Laura's story feels like my story. But as an adult, I recognize that it's only one side of the story, and that the story of the indigenous people of this land, who were displaced by the US government so that my ancestors could make a new life here, is also an important one to tell. Laura's story and legacy are complicated,* but I still love Little House for the nostalgia, and the comforting message of family, home, togetherness, and respect for nature. I hadn't seen the musical in almost 15 years, and it turns out it's not as strong of a piece of musical theater as I remembered or hoped it was. But it's still lots of fun for Little House fans, and Lakeshore Players has put together a charming production, with a large and talented cast and beautiful design. You can see it at Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake through February 10 (and for something different, check out an encore performance of Lakeshore's fantastic regional premiere of the smart, funny, inspiring play What the Constitution Means to Me on January 29 and 30).